After one week of the election results, the air has been cleared over the name of the Chief Minister of the Assam. Himanta Biswa Sarma was elected the Leader of the Legislature Party on Sunday. The meeting was also attended by Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Party General Secretary Arun Singh and BJP’s Assam in-charge Baijayant Panda. Earlier, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal submitted his resignation to Governor Jagdish Mukhi.
The decision came after Sarma and Sonowal attended a high command meeting in Delhi on Saturday. A high-profile meeting was held at the residence of BJP National President JP Nadda in Delhi. In which the name of the new Chief Minister was discussed in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP General Secretary BL Santosh. Sarma said that the new Assam cabinet will take oath on Monday noon.
Also read: Didi Is Back In Bengal; BJP Got Puducherry This Time; Know Here Results Of 5 Legislatures
Why this change in leadership took place?
Biswa is known to be quite influential throughout the Northeast. In the Sonowal government, he held important portfolios such as Finance, Planning and Development, Health and Family Welfare, Education and PWD. He also has good relations with the top leaders of the central leadership. In such a situation, it is being claimed in the media reports that the BJP was under pressure to hand over the command of Assam to Biswa.
Biswa’s role was instrumental in BJP’s performance in Assam
Biswa left the Congress in 2015 and joined the BJP. Amit Shah is believed to have been impressed by Biswa’s political management at the time. Biswa is also believed to be instrumental in BJP’s expansion in the North-East.
Biswa has also been the convenor of the North East Democratic Alliance. This alliance was formed to bring regional parties under the leadership of the BJP.
BJP + wins 75 seats in Assam
In the three-phase election in Assam, the BJP alliance has got 75 seats. This victory of the BJP has created history in Assam because never before has a non-Congress party returned to power for the second consecutive time in 70 years.
Sonowal defeated Congress leader Rajib Lochan Pegu by 43,192 votes to win his second consecutive term in Majuli. Himanta Biswa Sarma retained the Jalukbari seat by defeating Congress’s Romain Chandra Borthakur by a margin of 1.01 lakh votes. Apart from Sonowal and Sarma, 13 other BJP ministers also managed to retain their seats easily.